Soap bars generally contain solid soap together with other components depending on the properties desired in the soap bar. Typically, the solid soap component is a salt of a long chain fatty acid which has both hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties. Thus, cleansing of skin or clothing is made possible by the soap, which disperses hydrophobic grease or oil into polar water during washing.
Incorporation of other components into soap bars such as water, emollient oils or other functional components is often desirable for achieving higher levels of moisturization or to make cleansing conditions less harsh. For example, it is known to incorporate a water-in-oil emulsion into bar soaps together with an emollient and a surfactant. However, incorporation of water or other components tends to be at the expense of the structural integrity of the soap bar or to be detrimental to the cleansing properties thereof. Higher loading of water into bar soap can cause structural problems such as cracking of the bar over time.
There is therefore a need in the art for improved soap bar compositions.